“Brought a T-shirt in for you.” Adam’s voice was husky. “Tomorrow I’ll pick up some of your own clothes.”
“Can’t—” Keri sputtered then laughed as Adam tugged the T-shirt over her head. She let the towel drop as he pulled the shirt down. He helped her put her bandaged arm through its sleeve. Then he handed her panties to her and she stepped into them one-handed.
When the clothing was on, she looked up at him. Her throat felt dry as she swallowed. “I can’t stay here.”
Adam raised his eyebrows. “Says who?”
“Says me.” She raised her good arm. “I’m not going to impose on you more than I already have.”
“Who says you’re imposing?” Adam said as he smoothed his hands over her shoulders.
“I mean…” Keri paused. “Thank you for everything. For being there last night at my house, then the hospital.” She raised her good hand. “For bringing me here and even making me dinner and for taking care of Fred.”
Adam smiled. “You’re welcome.” He trailed his fingers along her arm.
The most delicious sensations caused her to shiver.
“Are you cold?” Adam looked so concerned it made her smile. “I’ll get you a bathrobe.”
“I’m fine,” she said, but he was already opening the door of the bathroom.
As soon as he did, cold air rushed over her and some of the steam dissipated.
This time she did shiver from the cool air.
Adam took her hand and led her down the hall. “I have a robe in here.”
When he opened the door she saw that it must be the master bedroom. It was a great deal bigger than the guest room, had a huge king-sized bed and attractive cherry wood furniture. The bed was unmade, clothing hung over the back of a chair, and socks were on the floor.
Keri smiled. It looked lived in and comfortable.
“It’s a mess,” Adam said as he looked over her shoulder. “Maid’s day off.” He flashed a smile. “Truthfully, I need to hire one.”
“Looks fine to me,” she said.
After he grabbed an old terry robe he put it around her shoulders, careful not to bump her arm. When he had the robe arranged, he guided her out of his bedroom.
“Let’s get you back to bed,” he said. “You’ve had a hell of a time of it.”
“I just got up.” She came to a stop. “I slept all day.”
“You needed that sleep.” He gestured to her arm. “Not only do you need to sleep to heal, but you just went through some serious trauma. It’s not every day that you get shot.”
Adam had managed to steer her into the guest bedroom and to the bed.
The thought of this man helping her, being there for her, caring for her in such a gentle way made her feel different than she had felt about anyone for a long time. That and the sight of Adam so close to the bed she would be sleeping in again made her stomach flutter.
“Climb into bed and I’ll tuck you in,” he said with a smile.
She obeyed and brought the covers up under her arms. He leaned down and brushed his lips over her forehead.
“Good night, Angel,” he said and left.
EIGHT
“Tell Mom that I love her and I’ll see you both tomorrow.” Keri listened to her father for a few moments more as he said he would. “I love you, Dad,” she added before she closed her phone, disconnecting the call.
Keri sighed and set her cell phone on the table in the small but roomy house in the Park Slope neighborhood of Brooklyn that her cousin Janice was letting her stay in until it was rented. The furnishings were bare since it was temporary and it felt sterile and not quite welcome.
It had been a week since the break-in at her home in Brooklyn Heights, with no further incidents. But then she hadn’t been there since that night. Adam had picked up what she had needed him to.
According to Adam, Edward was reportedly planning to head to his huge home in Miami. Keri had been to it when she and Edward dated and it was an impressive home with Grecian columns, everything made of white marble, from the floors to the pillars to the stairs.
According to Adam’s sources, Edward would be making it a permanent move. She prayed every day that was true.
Keri had stayed with Adam for a few days, then had agreed with him to move into a rental house for a while rather than returning to her own home. Edward would be less likely to find her in a different house if he was still after her.
The remaining problem was how she would make it to work each day at her dance studio and how to make sure she wasn’t followed home. She’d had substitute teachers take over the classes that she normally taught … But she couldn’t, and didn’t want to, do that for long.
I can’t live my life hiding or running. I just can’t.
One of the hardest things had been that Adam had also made her promise not to visit her parents for a week. He wanted to make sure she wasn’t followed from their home in case Edward had located her parents. The thought of Edward having found her mother and father terrified her.
To Keri’s relief, her mother and father hadn’t appeared to be in any danger. Adam had made sure their house was under surveillance for the week after the attack in order to spot potential threats.
She’d had her cousin Tessa check in on her parents, telling Tessa she’d had to go out of town unexpectedly. She’d had to reassure her cousin that everything was fine.
Tomorrow she would visit her parents. The thought made her smile. She had missed
